You’ll be seeing more helper vehicles out on the roads in SE Wisconsin.
Fleet operations manager for AAA Pacesetter, Joseph Beyerl says they normally would contract out to affiliate companies for roadside service and they’ll still do that.
“In the last three years, there’s been a pretty big surge in AAA membership in the state of Wisconsin. And to offer assistance and backup to our existing service providers, we decided to bring in a fleet to help supplement those calls. We have four tow trucks – flat beds, and then we have seven battery vehicles.” says Beyerl.
AAA has been around for a long time, but this is a whole new operation.
“Normally what would happen if you called, it would be a contracted service provider that was affiliated with AAA. These are actually AAA trucks,” explains Beyerl.
They’re set up in a Dispatch situation but they’ll now be able to offer help in a wider area.
“Different service providers have their grids, their territories that they service. That’s not to say if somebody is running behind, or even a weather event where nobody can keep up, we help each other out,” says Beyerl.
AAA offers an array of services for roadside help, it’s not just towing.
“The two most common are jump starts or battery sales, and towing but if you lock yourself out of the car we can let you in. If you need any gas, if you need air in your tires, if you need your tire changed on the side of the road, we can help you out with that as well,” says Beyerl.
One other thing AAA wants to bring attention to is the Move Over / Slow Down campaign and law.
“Any service provider, whether it’s roadside service, law enforcement, anything, they’re trying to help somebody and the best thing you can do to help them would be to give them a little bit of space to do their jobs,” explains Beyerl.
Keep an eye out for those shiny new trucks, out there to give you a helping hand if you need it.
AAA members can request service through the AAA Mobile App or by texting HELP to 800-222-6424
And if you’re a technician interested in joining the fleet, you can check out their website here.